US – Artist Mason Rothschild is raising important questions about the luxury non-fungible tokens (NFT) market, with a collection of 100 faux fur virtual Birkin bags that emulate Hermès’ iconic products. The colourful faux fur handbags were initially available on NFT marketplace OpenSea at a starting price of 0.1ETH (£339, $450, €398), but were met with a cease and desist letter from Hermès.

In a statement denouncing the project, Hermès said: ‘These NFTs infringe upon the intellectual property and trademark rights of Hermès and are an example of fake Hermès products in the metaverse.’ Still, Rothschild's project is prompting necessary debate, as the market for virtual luxury goods continues to unfurl as a profitable revenue stream while simultaneously presenting a grey area when it comes to trademarks and ownership – especially when such products are positioned as works of art or creative response.

While NFT projects and metaverse spaces can democratise brand access, Rothschild’s collection raises questions about product copyright, and the emergence of digital hyper-exclusivity driven by Crypto-Cliques.

According to research by SPINS and IFF, US consumers are losing interest in plant-based meat substitutes as the novelty of meat mimicking wears off. Data from SPINS reveals that in the four weeks to 3 October 2021, sales of plant-based ‘meat’ dropped by 1.8% compared to the previous year.

The company notes that a combination of too much choice and supply chain issues has had an impact on the demand for plant-based proteins. Meanwhile, findings from IFF reveal that more than 70% of consumers are not interested in mimicking meat. With these findings in mind, food brands must reframe their strategies and introduce new flavours, textures and communications that look beyond conventional approaches to replacing meat.

As we explore in our Next-generation Protein microtrend, there is a lucrative opportunity for food technology innovation to elevate plant-based products to make them more appealing.